Kai Exhaled Sharply, Watching Her Go With An Amused Scoff. Oh, She Was Gonna Play It Like That? Cute.

Kai just stared at her for a beat, unimpressed, before letting out a short, gravelly laugh. Damn, she was wound tight. The scowl, the eye roll, the clenched jaw—yeah, he was getting under her skin already. Not that it was hard. People like her? They were used to admiration, not indifference.

"Relax, princess—" and yeah, he said it again, slow and deliberate, just to watch her bristle, "—it was just an observation. And congrats on the brunch trivia, really riveting stuff." His lips twitched, but he stayed leaning against the counter, unfazed by her little outburst.

"And nah, I don't tend to piss people off," he said, dragging a ringed hand through his inky black hair before flicking his gaze back to her. "Just the ones who come in here with a stick so far up their ass they could double as a coat rack." He tilted his head, studying her like she was some fascinating little science experiment. "You got something to prove? ‘Cause it’s real obvious you want me to know you can ‘hold your own.’” He smirked again, dark and lazy. “So what’s the deal? Daddy’s money not buying you enough respect these days?"

oh, she did not like him already. there was something about him that immediately had her on the defensive. the pet name alone had her features hardening with a scowl. "i'm sorry what did you just call me?!" you could tell by her tone she was far from impressed, and he may have thought he was being funny but she certainly did not agree. "it's mimosas for brunch, not champagne actually." her orbs rolled with bemusement as her lips pursed and with that her jaw began to clench. "oh, so what you're saying is that because i am not.. what? covered in ink and wearing a leather jacket i can't possibly be seen anywhere like this? talk about stereotyping me. well done. great first impression. do you tend to piss off all the people you first meet or am i just a special exception?" just because she didn't look rough around the edges didn't mean she wasn't allowed to step foot in the bar. pia was very much the type who could hold her own, and he was just about the learn that little fact just by opening his mouth.

ofblcssxms​:

CLOSED starter || ft. @littledaydreamers​

Five years later, here he was finally outside those dull grey concrete walls he’d grown to call home. Luckily, he’d managed to get out on good behaviour. Ivan couldn’t even begin to imagine what it was like for those that had to spend a lifetime behind bars. But alas, even seeing the inside of a cell hadn’t stopped him from making his way straight back to the bratva. They were his family, from a young age he’d been raised them, they had taught him everything he knew and forged him to be the most brutal of all their enforcers. After linking up with his chosen family, Ivan’s next port of call was his lover.. He wondered if they had kept their promise. When the man had initially been captured, he had one phone call, and that one phone call was to them.. His lover had promised that they would wait, that they wouldn’t love again until he returned to them. Ivan knew there would be hell to pay if the promise had been broken. Making his way to the home which he knew to belong to the other, the Russian popped the collar of his leather jacket, licking his lips as he made an attempt at composing himself before knocking. Though, before he had chance to even walk up the driveway, he saw someone leave through the front door, placing a kiss to the lips of his significant other as the left. Fire burned behind the azure hues of the man as his hands balled into fists. “And here I thought promises were not so difficult to keep.” The man spoke out, the Russian twang to his accent evident through the anger in his words as well as the raised volume at which he spoke.

It had been five years. Five long years. She wasn’t even the one that had received the prison sentence, but it felt like it. After all, she’d lost the person she loved. Her life felt like it had been paused as she waited for him to return, yet somehow she had to carry on. Natalie had promised Ivan that she would wait for him, and she had meant it, but five years was a long time. She hadn’t meant for anything to happen. It was just two friends going for a few drinks or well, that’s all it was meant to be. The next thing she knew, she woke up in bed next to him. Natalie wanted to regret it but she didn’t. She’d been faithful and waited for nearly four years. She felt bad for cheating on Ivan, yet at the same time it didn’t seem fair that she had to wait five whole years for a man that continuedly picked a dangerous life style over her. Nothing would change when he got released, if he even got released. And so she had chosen herself for once. She owed it to herself to see where things went with Lucas. Yet, somehow, she couldn’t help the shock and the wave of emotions hit her as she heard Ivan’s voice. Gently pushing Lucas aside, she looked down the driveway, not quite believing her own ears. She looked at Ivan, mouth agape, not really knowing what to say. Natalie turned back to Lucas and told him to get back into the house. She could already hear the venom in Ivan’s voice and the last thing she wanted was him hurting Lucas. “Five years Ivan, it’s been five years.” 

"Well, you certainly made an impression," Isabelle stated, a wry smile playing on her lips as the male took a seat next to her. "Not many people would bother to step in like that." She couldn't help but admire his chivalry. "I appreciate it, though. It's not always easy being a lone woman in a place like this."

The brunette let her eyes rake over the male as she took a sip of her drink. "So, you want casual conversation, huh? Let's see. What's a six-foot-something guy like you doing in a place like this? You don't exactly fit the 'pick-up-artist' stereotype." Her gaze lingered on him for a moment, gauging his reaction. "And, you're right, security should have done something sooner. But, it takes an actual fight for them to even bother to pay attention." Isabella replied, rolling her eyes "You seem like a guy who likes to take charge. Tell me, what kind of 'interesting' conversations do you usually have?"

open to: f connection: friend or stranger at a bar @indiestarter

It'd been a long fucking week. All Wyatt wanted was to have a quiet night with a glass of cheap cold beer, potentially eye fuck a girl or two before dragging his ass back home to ignore his roommate and pass out on the couch while watching old sitcom re-runs. Not too much to ask for in his opinion. Unfortunately, some drunken twathead began nagging at the pretty ladies sitting by the bar basically begging from them to go home with him. None were entertaining him but they all recoiled. Finally, Wyatt grew tired enough to get up - all six foot five inches of him - to push the man out of the bar ... doing security's job for them. When he re-entered, he shook his head at the woman who opened her mouth to thank him. "No need, sweetheart. Just doing what security should've done five drinks ago." Taking residence next to her, he smirked her way. "Pay me back with casual conversation. It's been a while since I've had an interesting one."

Jeyda’s eyes flickered to hers for a moment, almost imperceptible—enough to catch the question but not answer it. His lips tightened, a small shift in his posture, but his gaze quickly drifted to the ground, focusing on the faint crack in the pavement as if it held the answers. He didn’t want to talk about the city. The city didn’t matter. The past didn’t matter. Not right now.

“Yep, new to the building not to the city” he muttered, his voice still rough. He shifted again, ready to end this little exchange, but her smile—her lightness—hung in the air like a tug on his chest. She was persistent. It was almost unsettling considering the harshness he had become used to in prison.

“Though it's been a while since I've been out in the city,” he added, this time quieter. He didn’t know how much more he could give her.

Aylin beamed, her usual sunny disposition not even slightly dimmed by Jeyda’s reticent demeanor. The way his fingers had barely grazed hers when he took the mail did make her pause for a fraction of a second, though. She wondered if he was alright.

"You're welcome!" Aylin chirped, her voice light and airy like the dandelion seeds she sometimes saw floating through the courtyard. She noticed he didn't look at the envelopes, and a small frown tugged at her brow. Legal firm mail wasn't usually cause for celebration, was it?

When his rough, quiet 'thanks' came, Aylin just nodded. She didn't expect him to say more. Jeyda never did. She held his gaze for a moment longer, a gentle, unspoken question in her bright eyes. Maybe he just needed a friendly face, even if he didn't want to admit it.

Seeing him tuck the stack under his arm, Aylin gave a small tilt of her head. "Have you settled in? I know you're new to the building but what about the city?" she questioned curiously.

Ruby stared at the screen, her heart doing this annoying little stutter at his words. What do you want?

It was a simple enough question, but the way King asked it—so direct, so confident, like he was already anticipating her answer—made something tighten in her stomach.

She exhaled, rolling onto her side, the glow of her lamp casting long shadows on her wall. Part of her wanted to brush him off, to act like this wasn’t getting to her. But another part? Another part liked the way he was talking, the way he seemed genuinely offended on her behalf.

Text to King: Right? Tell me about it. You’d think at the very least, I’d get a damn reaction.

She hesitated, then added:

Text: Not that I care. Obviously.

Which was a lie, but she wasn’t about to let King know that her ego was so easily damaged.

Her eyes flicked back to his last message, and she couldn’t help but picture him—lying there...

Text: Y'know, I don't think I've ever seen your body... A shirtless picture wouldn't hurt for starters

text: what do you want?

he asked without a second thought because king was a pretty confident guy atleast in himself, and he trusted that she wasn't going to share it with anyone. not that he would mind if she happened to because like he'd said he prided himself on thr way he looked.

text: you sent him THAT and he left you on read?? amazes me. does matter what i was doing i would atleast send you a damn emoji.

text: not very curteous of him.. jackass.

he shifted a fraction for a moment, preparing himself to have to remove some more clothing again or have to move into a different position with better lighting depending on how this conversation went.

text: like i said, what do you want in return?

Zach sighs, glancing at her with a flicker of something almost like... patience? Almost. He leans forward slightly, his expression flat but serious. "Alright, fine. I’ll give you one shot, just this once," he says, his tone a little more neutral than usual. "If you wanna talk, I won’t laugh, and I won’t use it against you. But you gotta know, it’s a one-time deal. After this conversation, I'm going back to not giving a hoot about your issues or problems. Deal?" He raises an eyebrow, challenging her to either take it or leave it.

there was something she didn't trust about the other offering her space to complain so she glares to him instead. his reaction only shows that he has no general interest in what she has to say. rolling her eyes she shakes her head. "of all people - i am not about to complain to you and tell you my problems. you'll just laugh or use it agaisnt me." she points out to him pulling her legs up to her chest letting herself go silent.

Closed Starter || @ofblcssxms​​

“Did you miss me?” Asher asked cheekily, a smirk clear as day on his features. He knew turning up unannounced wasn’t ideal, but he had few options left and so he found himself on their doorstep, hoping their last encounter wasn’t one that ended badly. “So, uh, I kinda need a place to crash for a bit.“

ofblcssxms​:

Mollie couldn’t help but laugh in response to his comment, arching a brow in suspicion as she peered toward him through narrowed eyes. “So it seems the lies just keep flowing.” She teased, laughing lightly once again. It was rare that she wasn’t laughing when she was with Asher, in all honesty. The two of them just got along so well that it proved difficult to be anything other than happy in his presence. Hence, why he was her first port of call should she ever have any down days. Mollie pouted as he continued on with the affectionate speech. “Stop!” She elongated the word in a childlike manner, covering her face with both of her hands adorably, in hope of hiding just how crimson her face had turned. Turning on her heel, Mollie then wandered further into the apartment before then stopping peering back toward Asher. She could tell his comment had been a buffer, a way for her to leave the subject of his arrival alone, and she had no problems in doing that. Honestly.. Mollie was just happy he was there. “I see how it is. You have no problems spooning me when we’re drunk but when we’re sober its a whole other story. I see.” The girl teased, pouting once again. 

Asher puffed his chest out as he acted shocked. “How very dare you! I can’t believe you continue to accuse me like this. I’m appalled, I really am.” He replied scoffing as he shook his head, trying to keep the smile off his face. A warm feeling settled within him, already feeling better now he was in Mollie’s presence. Things were always just so easy with them. The male laughed as she covered her face, complaining. Her embarrassment just made things even more fun. “Aw, don’t be like that. I’m just trying to tell you how much I care about you. C’mon, give me a hug, bestie.” Asher teased, laughing as he followed her further into the apartment before leaping forward, trapping her in his arms as he hugged her tightly. “I mean, I suppose I could let you share the bed with me, but only if I can be the little spoon.” He joked with a wink. 

dxrlingdevils​:

“Yes, I’m hungover. Yes, it was a long night. Yes, there were moments that got a little embarrassing. No, I don’t want to talk about it.” Liam groaned as he attempted to lift his now very heavy head off of his makeshift pillow. He wasn’t exactly best pleased with the intrusion and being woken up from his much needed nap.

Becca nodded along, listening to the male as she took a seat on the edge of the sofa arm with her bowl of cereal in hand. “I hear you dude, sounds like a crazy night. I won’t even ask why you didn’t think to invite your awesome roommate. Just a mere oversight, obviously.” She replied, sighing before lifting a spoon of Fruit Loops to her lips. “Given this small mistake, I’ve decided I won’t be doing the shopping this time round - and by this time round, I mean, today, as in we need groceries today - so, yeah, off you pop poppet. Oh, and don’t forget the Fruit Loops.” She stated with a bright grin.